€600k award for cyclist, aged 73, ‘blown off’ road

A 73-year-old man who was an extremely active cyclist — he cycled from Cork to Dublin and back in one day after his 70th birthday — was blown off the road while cycling closer to home and suffered serious head and other injuries.

Retired cobbler Gerard Rea, now aged 75, of Melbourn Avenue, Bishopstown, Cork, and his wife Eileen, who now cares for him, were awarded €600,000 in compensation at the High Court sitting in Cork yesterday.

The incident occurred on the dual-carriageway between Cork and Ballincollig on Jul 14, 2011. Michael Gleeson, for the man, said that it was permissible to cycle on a dual-carriageway.